GeekDad HipTrax #78

GeekDad HipTrax Logo by Dave Banks

Typically Ken and I reserve our October shows for Halloween merriment. With all our recent scheduling and technical problems, however, we’ve elected to devote this episode to some unfinished business — namely spotlighting three new releases that certainly warrant your attention.

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Frontalots new album Solved promises to answer all of life’s nagging questions, to unfurl those pesky enigmas in a manner most musical. Assuming, of course, that the bulk of said questions concern the undead and/or giant, multi-pilot robot. For most other issues you’re pretty much on your own. Thankfully the album doubles as a more-than-serviceable soundtrack to your daily, dilemma-filled life.

JoCo’s latest takes the geek rock troubadour into unfamiliar territory: in this case a real, professional studio with a big name producer. They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh helped give Artificial Heart some obvious polish, but as always the charm comes compliments of Coulton’s off-kilter (but still somehow relatable) story-songs.

Blending the country- and folk-flavored soundtracks of the Firefly series and the Serenityfeature film with hip-hop lyricism, WarRock and The ThoughtCriminals‘ Mikal kHill craft the perfect nerdcore mixtape. At once a love letter to fans and a clever metaphor concerning the struggles of the independent artist, The Browncoats Mixtape leverages the strength of fandom into an unforgettable artistic achievement.

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The HipTrax theme song was created by Snake Eyes. He got the donuts, which means he got the donuts that he wanted.